Mindfulness

What does mindfulness mean?

Mindfulness means to be completely in the here and now and to perceive the moment with all senses and without judgement. With mindfulness a different perspective on the everyday things in life can be created. With mindfulness it is possible to take on the role of a neutral and value-free observer and thus to distance oneself from emotional dramas. In order for this to succeed, observation and freedom from values are the first things that are learned particularly well and intensively. Mindfulness is therefore much more than a form of relaxation. With mindfulness it is possible to master even the most difficult situations as confidently as possible.

Where does mindfulness come from?

 Mindfulness is a millennia-old philosophy of life whose roots lie in Buddhism. It is about the four basic principles of mindfulness:

• Mindfulness of the body
• Mindfulness of the feelings
• Mindfulness of the mind
• Mindfulness of the outward appearance

In the western world, the method of mindfulness was established in the 1970s by the American physician John Kabat-Zinn. The "Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction" (MBSR) developed by Kabat-Zinn is a non-religious type of meditation. Today it is considered the best researched form of meditation, which is increasingly used in psychotherapy and coaching.

How does mindfulness work?

In mindfulness meditation, the autopilot of everyday life is switched off and attention is focused on the current experience. What do I feel, taste and smell? Where do my thoughts go? All this is perceived in a completely neutral way, without any evaluation. Thus the automatic reaction to a situation is interrupted and the different possibilities to react become conscious. This mindfulness helps to become more relaxed in everyday life and to better deal with stressful situations. Furthermore, the method of John Kabat-Zinn, which combines mindfulness and yoga exercises with meditation, has proven to have positive effects on the body. After only a few weeks of mindfulness practice, the production of stress hormones is reduced, blood pressure drops, muscles relax and the immune system is strengthened. Mindfulness training can therefore be used specifically for stress management and burnout prevention. But the teaching of mindfulness also has a positive effect on pain patients, as they can consciously learn how to deal with their own body and pain.

Why mindfulness is so important

Mindfulness helps in every everyday situation. It is a kind of brain jogging, with whose meditation exercises the resting areas in the brain are trained. The habitual pattern of thinking and acting in stressful situations can be broken through the new "it's as it is" attitude. As a result, negative feelings that arise in stress situations and conflicts can be accepted with a certain serenity. Of course this goal of the "calm center" is connected with an intensive and best daily training.

At the same time, with mindfulness you will also achieve more satisfaction. Keeping your perception and mind open, not adding anything and evaluating it is like a great weight falling from your shoulders. With mindfulness you experience the same day as without mindfulness, but you perceive it completely differently. There is no more room for stressful and negative feelings, instead you are with yourself, in the respective situation and can simply enjoy life.

How can one learn mindfulness?

You can learn mindfulness in an eight-week mindfulness training developed by Kabat-Zinn or in various seminars, which are also offered in wellness hotels. The eight-week mindfulness training is used in clinics to treat chronic conditions such as depression, anxiety, chronic pain, headaches, and heart problems. In the shorter mindfulness seminars, methods are usually learned for practicing mindfulness in everyday life.

Practical exercises are for example:

• Raisin Meditation - The conscious perception of raisins with all senses.
• Body Scan - Consciously perceiving and feeling your own body.
• Sensual Perception Simultaneously - Perceiving as many sensory impressions as possible at the same time.
• The Anti-Training - Training the high art of letting go by consciously exposing yourself to a situation in your head that you don't like.
• Conscious Breathing - Perceiving your own breath from beginning to end.
• Digital Detox - Saying goodbye to the online world for several hours or days in order to reduce the flood of sensory impressions and to recognize the essential.